Statistics released by PennDOT today show that in 2018, the number of drug-related crashes in District 10 decreased slightly, but numbers for Indiana County showed an increase.
Statistics from the Pennsylvania Crash Information Tool showed that across PennDOT District 10, which covers Indiana, Armstrong, Butler, Clarion and Jefferson Counties, 132 motorists were involved in a drug-related crash in 2018, which is a two percent decrease across the district compared to numbers in 2017.
Going county-by-county, Indiana saw an increase in the number of drug-related crashes. The tool showed that there were 30 drug-related crashes in Indiana County in 2018, up three from the previous year, representing an 11 percent increase. Drug-related crashes represented 4.2 percent of the total number of crashes in Indiana County.
Counties that had a higher percentage increase in the number of drug-related crashes were Butler County, with a 14 percent increase, and Jefferson County, with a 17 percent increase. Armstrong County had only a six percent increase while Clarion County had a nine percent increase.
The statistics represent the number of crashes where people were intoxicated by marijuana, any illegal drugs, prescription drugs, or any other medicine that would impair someone’s abilities. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration advises that if you are taking a new prescription drug or a higher dose of a current drug you’re taking, take some time to study how it affects you before you get behind the wheel.
